Sthulibhadra Vishayak Tran Fagu Kavyo - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, focusing on the analysis of three Phagu poems about Sthulibhadra:

Book Title: Sthulibhadra Vishayak Tran Fagu Kavyo Author: Jayant Kothari

This analysis, published in the Mahavir Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth, delves into three Phagu poems concerning the Jain ascetic Sthulibhadra, exploring their literary merits and unique characteristics within the context of Jain literature.

I. The Status of Jain Literature in Gujarati:

The author, Jayant Kothari, begins by addressing the perception of Jain literature as purely sectarian. He argues that while Jain poets, often monks, focused on themes of renunciation and the glory of initiation, this doesn't inherently diminish their poetic quality. He contends that a bias against older language and a focus on sectarianism can hinder the proper evaluation of Jain poets. He draws parallels with non-Jain medieval Gujarati poets like Narsinh, Mirabai, Akho, and Premanand, acknowledging their higher caliber but suggesting that Jain poets like Nakar, Dhir, Bhoje, Pritam, and those of the Swaminarayan sect demonstrated considerable poetic skill. Kothari laments that Jain poets and their literature have been neglected in literary studies, with many significant works by poets like Lavanyasamay and Samaysundar remaining unstudied. He notes that while Jain literature predating Narsinh receives some attention due to the scarcity of contemporary non-Jain literature, much Jain literature remains unpublished. He highlights Dayaram's sectarian literature, suggesting that his true poetic merit was recognized and appreciated by the public and scholars, a recognition that Jain poetry has often lacked. The author emphasizes the need to identify and critically evaluate true poetry from the vast Jain literary treasure.

II. Jain Poets' Approach to Subject Matter:

Despite their religious objectives, Jain poets drew inspiration from a wide array of sources. They didn't limit themselves to Jain Puranic narratives but also utilized the rich treasury of folk tales and even non-Jain Puranic themes. This approach was crucial for attracting a wider audience, a need less felt by non-Jain poets. While modern poets have reinterpreted ancient narratives from a fresh perspective, their focus has primarily been on Hindu and sometimes Buddhist literary traditions, with Jain narratives rarely receiving the touch of great poets. The author suggests that the potential of certain Jain stories, like that of Sthulibhadra, is worth exploring from this perspective.

III. The Story of Sthulibhadra and its Poetic Potential:

The text highlights Sthulibhadra's story as a potent example of such potential. Sthulibhadra, after spending twelve years in the house of the courtesan Kosa, returns to her residence for a Chaturmas (a four-month monastic retreat). The author poses rhetorical questions about Sthulibhadra's emotional state and Kosa's feelings upon his arrival, emphasizing the conflict between attachment and detachment and the potential for profound introspection. He draws parallels with the stories of King Bhartrihari, who renounced his queen Pingala upon realizing her indifference, and Lord Buddha, who left his wife Yashodhara to seek enlightenment. In these stories, the moment of reunion after separation is presented as more thrilling, religious, and mysterious, marking the beginning of new life directions, understandings, and relationships. The author notes the difficulty of developing such moments originally.

Sthulibhadra, who achieved victory over senses in Kosa's very abode, is a highly revered Jain acharya. Numerous poems about him exist in Old Gujarati, possibly second only to those about Nemianath in quantity. However, Kothari argues that Sthulibhadra's life events are more emotionally charged than Neminath's. Sthulibhadra transforms from one consumed by passion to one detached, whereas Neminath never experienced a life of attachment. Sthulibhadra confronts the passionate Kosa, a challenge Neminath did not face. Rajul's devotion to Neminath, while pure, lacks Kosa's intensity, sophistication, vibrancy, or emotion. Furthermore, Sthulibhadra's narrative is enriched by the fascinating and thrilling episodes of his father's life, offering scope for structural variety. The author notes the diverse forms found in medieval Gujarati poems about Sthulibhadra, including short lyrical poems, Sajhhas praising renunciation, Baarmasa and Navrasa poems describing Kosa's separation-induced longing, Kaanru and Shiyalveli with minor narrative elements, and extensive narrative Rasa poems.

IV. Analysis of Three Specific Phagu Poems:

The author then focuses on a comparative analysis of three Phagu poems, each exhibiting distinct structural variations:

Jinpadasuri's Sthulibhadra Phagu (c. 1390-1400)
Jayvantasuri's Sthulibhadra-Kosa Premvilas Phagu (c. 1614)
Maldev's Sthulibhadra Phagu (First half of the 17th century)

Defining Phagu:

Kothari defines Phagu as a poetic genre that, with a slight narrative basis, depicts human love against the backdrop of nature, particularly the spring season. While acknowledging variations, he states that the core of classical Phagu poems aligns with this definition. Jain Phagus have unique characteristics:

Ultimate Aim: Renunciation: Despite depicting love, often intensely, Jain Phagus ultimately aim towards detachment. They cannot be purely erotic poems. The subject matter or events often convey the message of restraint, as in Sthulibhadra's life. While Jinpadam Sūri briefly praises Sthulibhadra's victory over desire, Maldev directly preaches avoiding women. Jayvantasuri's poem is notable for stopping at the meeting of Sthulibhadra and Kosa, not even reaching the point of demonstrating victory over desire. The entire poem, being Kosa's lament, offers no scope for renunciation. Astonishingly, Jayvantasuri's poem concludes with a blessing of "daily reunion of loved ones," demonstrating a potential freedom from the obsession with renunciation, a trait often used to classify non-Jain works like "Vasantvilas" as non-sectarian.
Selection of Jain Monks as Heroes: Choosing a Jain monk as the protagonist is advantageous for Jain poets to depict renunciation. However, this poses a challenge: how to portray the spring revelry of detached monks? Therefore, in Jain Phagus, descriptions of spring are often peripheral to the main narrative. For instance, in Nem-Rajul Phagus, the spring revelry is attributed to Krishna and his queens, not to Neminath. Sometimes, the monsoon season is used instead of spring, as Jain monks observe Chaturmas in one place. Jinpadam Sūri and Maldev's poems are set during the monsoon, while Jayvantasuri uses spring as a backdrop for Kosa's pre-Sthulibhadra separation.
Position and Form of Love: Jain Phagus typically feature Vipralambha Shringar (love in separation). When the heroine is infatuated but the hero is detached, union Shringar (love in union) is impossible. This results in one-sided love and Vipralambha Shringar stemming from longing. Often, instead of evoking Shringar through expression of love, Jain poets consider descriptions of physical beauty and adornments sufficient. Samyoga Shringar is rare, and like spring descriptions, it remains outside the main narrative. In Nem-Rajul Phagus, it appears with Krishna and his queens, while Rajul's beauty is merely described. Despite Sthulibhadra living with Kosa for twelve years, no Jain poet has focused on the Samyoga Shringar of that period. Thus, Phagus about Sthulibhadra invariably feature Vipralambha Shringar. In the analyzed poems, Jayvantasuri focuses solely on Kosa's emotions, while the other two poems give more space to beauty descriptions than emotional portrayal.

V. Narrative Structure and Artistic Expression:

The author then delves into the narrative structure and artistic expression of each poem:

Maldev's Phagu: Maldev's poem attempts to encompass the entire Sthulibhadra narrative, resulting in a lack of narrative flow and clarity. Despite its length, it reads like a mere mention of events, leaving much to the reader's prior knowledge. The author illustrates this with an example of Sthulibhadra's father's sacrifice, where Maldev briefly alludes to the event, causing potential misunderstanding. While not entirely devoid of merit, particularly in the description of Sthulibhadra's arrival at Kosa's and Kosa's longing, the poem's disparate parts create a disharmonious composition. The author suggests focusing on the meeting of Sthulibhadra and Kosa would have been more effective.
Jinpadasuri's Phagu: Jinpadam Sūri wisely focuses on the core event of Sthulibhadra's arrival at Kosa's and his subsequent return after his retreat. He skillfully incorporates the narrative without burdening the reader. Kosa's twelve-year relationship with Sthulibhadra is conveyed through dialogue. The author praises the poem's balanced structure, with appropriate descriptions of the season, Kosa's beauty, her conversation with Sthulibhadra, and his steadfastness. The poem maintains a consistent, albeit moderate, quality, leaving a cohesive impression. The author commends Jinpadam Sūri's innate intuition for structural coherence, a rare quality in medieval poetry.
Jayvantasuri's Phagu: Jayvantasuri virtually eliminates the narrative, focusing solely on Kosa's state of separation. His imagination concentrates on a single point: Kosa's longing. This singular focus allows for depth. The poem's structure is like a deep well, with various streams of emotion flowing from Kosa's heart, enriching her fundamental feeling of separation. The poem is entirely Kosa's internal monologue, seamlessly weaving in seasonal imagery with her emotional turmoil. The author highlights Jayvantasuri's ability to intensify emotions and create a cohesive emotional landscape. He argues that Jayvantasuri's poetry, with its focus on Kosa's innermost feelings, demonstrates true poetic skill, and such poets deserve recognition. The poem captures the various stages of separation, from silent pain to intense anguish, using vivid imagery and relatable experiences.

VI. Poetic Expression and Skill:

The author then evaluates the poetic expression of each poet:

Maldev: Despite a lack of narrative skill, Maldev possesses poetic talent. His brief, clean descriptions of the monsoon, fresh imagery in Kosa's beauty, and poetic expression of her longing are noteworthy. While some metaphors are common, the variety of imagination and phrasing is significant. His descriptive power is evident in lines like comparing her dark hair to stars in the night sky or her braid to a serpent guarding her youth. He also effectively conveys Kosa's unrequited love through a series of illustrative comparisons. However, Kothari notes that in their haste to narrate and glorify restraint, the poets didn't fully explore Kosa's character.
Jinpadasuri: Jinpadam Sūri is characterized by his accuracy, appropriateness, and sense of proportion. He visualizes events dramatically and has a keen eye for the nuances of language. His use of onomatopoeic words to evoke the atmosphere of the monsoon is skillful and adheres to metrical constraints. His nature descriptions are not independent but serve to enhance the human emotion, creating a beautiful backdrop for Vipralambha Shringar. He begins Kosa's beauty descriptions realistically but gradually moves towards ornate language, using fitting but not entirely novel metaphors. His persistent focus on portraying Kosa as an embodiment of desire is remarkable. The dialogue between Kosa and Sthulibhadra is brief but potent, revealing their characters and the subtle conflict between passion and detachment. Kosa's wit and sharp retorts are evident in her exchanges with Sthulibhadra.
Jayvantasuri: Jayvantasuri's sole focus is Kosa's heartfelt emotion. He portrays her as a common lovelorn woman, stripping away any specific identity but imbuing her intense love with a rich spectrum of emotions like eagerness, madness, disappointment, self-reproach, anger, and restlessness. He skillfully uses various contexts, triggers, symbols, and phrasing to express these emotions. The author highlights Jayvantasuri's unique ability to capture the intricate currents of a separated woman's heart, creating a rich and diverse emotional landscape. His poem exemplifies how true poetic talent can transcend secondary objectives.

Conclusion:

Jayant Kothari concludes by reiterating the need to unearth and appreciate the true poetic talent within the vast Jain literary tradition. He suggests that finding even a few more poems like those by Jayvantasuri and Jinpadam Sūri would make the effort of exploring Jain literature immensely worthwhile. The analysis underscores the richness and diversity within Jain poetry, even when focused on religious themes, and champions the need for greater scholarly attention to this often-overlooked literary heritage.